Goulding Summerhouse

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Residential Projects
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1971 - 1973 (restored 2002)
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow

Client
Sir Basil Goulding
Area
142 sq.m



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Originally designed for Sir Basil Goulding, a great gardener and art collector; He was so concerned about his beautiful gardens along the Dargle Valley that he wanted the new building to take up as little of the garden as possible. The resulting design cantilevered over the river, and is supported on the only rock outcrop available without disturbing the natural vegetation of the river gorge.  

Diagonal bracing effectively converts the side elevations into beam structures, and a steel column support at the second bay from the rock face below together with rock anchors make possible the three-bay cantilever over the river.  

The summerhouse was listed for preservation in 2000 and we were subsequently commissioned to restore it. Internationally, it is considered a modernist icon and continues to inspire with its recent inclusion in ‘The Iconic House’ by Thames & Hudson.